Today, the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology (NCSB) was officially launched at a press conference sponsored by the Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“This is a huge day for life sciences research in the state of Missouri,” said Dale R. Ludwig, MSA executive director/CEO. “This congressional designation puts Missouri at the head of the pack in the area of life sciences. It is a culmination of a lot of hard work by many people; but most prominently, Senator Bond is to thank. He convinced his colleagues in the Senate that the scientists we have here at the University of Missouri deserve this unique and prestigious designation. And he secured the funding to help make it possible. So, on behalf of Missouri soybean farmers, I say ‘thank you’ to Senator Bond for his continued dedication to, and vision for, the Missouri life sciences industry,” concluded Ludwig.

“The millions of dollars in funding that accompany the designation will lead to many advances in plant research. Farmers will be increasing their crop yields, while producing less expensive, homegrown renewable energy sources and food crops with enhanced nutritional qualities for better human health, as well as new plant-based lifesaving medicines,” said Gary Stacey, NCSB Associate Director. “We simply can not thank Senator Bond enough for his belief in the importance of our work. He has been the leading champion in the Congress for continued development of the life sciences, which is why he recently earned the 2004 Public Service Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Science from the American Society of Plant Biologists.”

The University of Missouri-Columbia was recently designated by the U.S. Congress as the site for the NCSB. The foundation for it was the Center for Soybean Genomics and Biotechnology, previously formed at the University of Missouri-Columbia in support of interdisciplinary research on the genomic structure and function of soybean genes. The ultimate goal of the NCSB is to provide innovative molecular approaches that can be applied toward soybean improvement.

The NCSB is a collaborative program among scientists at the University of Missouri, the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service Plant Genetics Unit in Columbia and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. There are currently more than 25 researchers working together from diverse fields including agronomy, microbiology and plant pathology, biochemistry, animal science, food science, molecular biology and agricultural economics.

In addition to receiving NCSB support, scientists working in the center continue to be highly competitive for other funding from a variety of sources, including the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, federal agencies and private industry.

Strategically located in the heart of the nation, the NCSB aims to foster research partnerships with institutions in the Midwestern and Southern states, regions where soybean is a major crop. Research within the NCSB focuses on major problems that affect soybean production and use. The Center also provides educational opportunities for students and outreach services to producers, public agencies and consumers.

For more information about the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology, please visit http://soybeangenomics.missouri.edu/.